Hooked On A Feeling
by VagueJester
Summary: When she's dragged out to support her friends' band at a bar, Laura meets the new lead and stumbles across a plot that makes the supernatural her small town is known for seem tame.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Alright, this is a new fic I'm working on in collaboration with a friend of mine. Hopefully it helps you guys get hyped for Season 2 and you'll tell us what you think in the reviews.**

"Okay, okay. If I have to, I'll go."

"You'll love it, I'm sure. Besides, Kirsch says that the new lead is quite the looker, and I bet he could get you backstage to meet her."

"Ugh, LaF. Really?" Laura retorted, rolling her eyes.

"I know, I know, you don't really care. But I'm glad you agreed to come, you really need to get out more often. And Danny's band is supposed to be pretty good."

"I'm here to support Danny and Kirsch, and that's it." Laura said, pointing her finger at her friend. If it was up to her, she'd be at home working on her next piece for her column, but this was her friends' first big gig since getting a new lead and she was nothing if not supportive of her friends.

She followed LaFontaine through the doors of the bar, raising an eyebrow at the strange name on the sign that hung slightly crooked near the window.

 _What kind of name is The Alchemy Club?_

Her musings were lost as she crossed the threshold and was nearly knocked over by the assault on her senses.

Normally Laura preferred the sweet aromas and calm atmosphere of the café near her apartment. It was where she got her best writing done, and the owner always slipped her an extra cookie or two with her cocoa.

Compared to that, the harsh odor of alcohol and wasted frat brothers was almost enough to make her gag and the sound of what seemed like everyone in the building talking at once made her head hurt. She took another breath, allowing her senses to adjust to this radical change from what they were used to.

She watched as LaFontaine made a beeline for Perry, taking the seat right next to her in the booth she had claimed against the far wall of the bar.

She watched as they exchanged a quick kiss and decided to head to the bar to get a drink first. If she was going to be third-wheeling all night, there wasn't a chance in Hell or Hogwarts that she'd be doing it sober.

She pulled herself onto one of the stools and ordered a beer. The bartender handed her the drink and she had to stop from spitting it all over him as she took a swig.

"Ugh! This is nasty! How do people drink this?"

"Maybe because you ordered the foulest beer this _lovely_ establishment has to offer, cutie." A low, husky voice said from beside her.

Laura turned her head to see who had spoken and felt all her higher functions shut down as she took in the dark-haired beauty before her.

 _Whoa…_

Smirking down at her was what was probably the most beautiful woman the tiny brunette had the pleasure of seeing. She flushed as her blatant staring was interrupted by a scoff from the bartender.

"Laugh it up, Kitty. But you wouldn't be here if it weren't for me, plus if my drinks are so bad, why do you keep coming back."

The smirking goddess turned her attention to the bartender and Laura watched her smirk go from one of pure sex appeal to something she could only describe as predatory.

"Because, William, while your beer may be shit, you make a mean Old Fashioned."

The bartender, Will, chuckled as he slid a bottle to the mysterious women, and before Laura could even get a word out, she shot her a wink and melted back into the crowd like smoke.

With a sigh she grabbed her drink and walked over to join the two gingers in their booth and wait for the show to start. She didn't have to wait for long as she saw Will leave the bar and make his way onto the stage and grab the mic to speak.

"Alright, settle down. Now we all know who you guys are here to see, so give it up for Sacrificial Love!"

Laura smiled and cheered as the band walked on stage. She watched as Danny, Kirsch and their other bandmate Elsie climbed on stage and took their positions at their instruments. Danny reached up and grabbed the mic hanging above her drum set and pulled it down to her mouth before speaking.

"Hey, Alchemy Club, how are you guys doing tonight?" She exclaimed. A thunderous cheer answered her and she chuckled a bit before continuing. "That's good, I was worried Kirsch's ugly mug would throw you guys off before we even got a chance to start."

"Not cool dude." Kirsch muttered and glared teasingly at the red-haired women as the crowd laughed.

"Alright, before we start, we have a new member to introduce," Laura was surprised by the hint of bitterness in her friend's tone, "Everybody give it up for our new lead, Carmilla!"

While the rest of the crowd cheered and whooped, Laura gawked as a pair of seemingly endless legs wrapped in tight black leather carried the mysterious beauty from earlier onto the stage.

 _Carmilla,_ Laura mouthed the name, liking the way it felt as it rolled off her tongue.

As if sensing her thoughts, Carmilla turned and looked her in the eye. They held each other's gaze for what was probably only a handful of seconds, but to Laura, it felt like eternity as she felt herself get lost in eyes that were as dark and mysterious as the night sky.

Laura could feel the heat rush to her face before making its way down her body as Carmilla winked at her before turning to address the rest of the audience.

She felt a poke in her ribs and turned to see Perry with an apologetic smile on her face next to LaFontaine who was smirking knowingly and waggling their eyebrows. She knew her face was practically glowing as she turned to watch the band, knowing she'd have to deal with the slew of jokes and teasing the ginger had in store.

She focussed on Carmilla as the raven-haired beauty spoke into the mic, her silky voice sent delectable shivers down Laura's spine as she addressed the crowd.

"Hey, everyone. I hope you're ready for one hell of a night, 'cause we're here to provide the soundtrack to your night time adventures." She nodded toward Danny who clacked her drumsticks together, before Elsie started up on her keyboard.

 _"Baby, when the look up at the sky_

 _We'll be shooting stars just passin' by_

 _You'll be coming home with me tonight_

 _We'll be burnin' up like neon lights"_

Carmilla sang the entire first verse without taking her eyes off Laura's, and the brunette could do nothing but stare back as the singer's voice filled the bar and radiated to the heavens.

As Carmilla's voice continued to serenade the building with its smooth sensuality, Laura felt her heart start beating in time with the music. She strutted across the stage and everything about her radiated ferocity and sex appeal. In all her leather clad glory, it was safe to say Carmilla had Laura entranced.

 _"You're all I see in all these places_

 _You're all I see in all these faces_

 _So let's pretend we're running out of time, of time."_

Carmilla's voice reached a peak as she sang the chorus. She looked at Laura several times throughout the performance, as if she was singing to her and her alone, and every time their eyes met, Laura felt her breath hitch and she would forget about the rest of the world.

She was engulfed in Carmilla's stage presence. The women looked like she was born to perform, and that stage was where she lived. She completely owned it, and Laura was completely enamored. She watched as they performed a few more songs until their first set came to a close and Carmilla was speaking again.

"Alright guys, thanks so much!" She nodded toward the rest of the band, "We're just gonna take a quick break, give you a chance to refill your pitchers and empty your bladders. We'll be back in some twenty minutes and then there's no stopping us 'til the sun shines, right Will?" She flashed him a look and chuckled at the worn expression on his face. The band retreated behind the curtains quickly and the crowd went back to talking amongst themselves, a soothing chatter and the sound of laughter filled the place with a sense of calmness Laura didn't expect.

She turned back to her friends and braced herself for the onslaught of teasing.

"So, Laura," LaFontaine began, the devious smirk never leaving their face for a second, "You happy we made you come now?"

"I-I don't know what you're talking about. Of course I'm happy to come support my friends."

"Really? Because I don't think you looked at anyone but Carmilla for the entirety of the performance."

Laura felt her face heat up as she opened and closed her mouth in a struggle to make some form of intelligent response.

LaFontaine burst into laughter while Perry shot them a look. "Don't make fun of Laura. Just because she's attracted to Danny and Kirsch's new lead, doesn't mean she's going to do anything stupid. Right, Laura?"

Laura flushed at the couple and shot to her feet before heading back to the bar, mumbling something about getting another drink.

She got to the bar and ordered a different beer for herself along with two more for LaF and Perry. She was standing there waiting for her drinks, when an all too familiar voice came from behind her, sending shivers down her spine.

"So we meet again."

Laura jumped and turned to face the raven-haired beauty who had been the focus of all her attention for the past hour. She was smirking like she was the only one in on some big joke, but the softness in her eyes removed any hostility from the expression.

"H-Hi."

Carmilla smiled as she watched the girl blush and allowed her eyes to travel up the tiny woman's body while trying to contain her delight with what she saw. The girl was clad in blue jeans that seemed to hug her legs in all the right ways and a button up that showed off her torso while remaining modest. What really drew her in though, were the warm brown eyes looking up at her with such honesty that Carmilla could see each emotion that passed through them. She had seen her with Danny and Kirsch's friends while they were playing, and she had a hard time keeping her eyes off those chocolate orbs as they stared back at her with completely unrestrained wonder. She made a mental note to ask her bandmates about her later and possibly ask about her numb-

"I'm Laura."

Her thoughts were interrupted by the girl's gentle, yet, surprisingly, slightly sultry sounding voice, and though Carmilla's heart tried to maintain a steady rhythm, it ultimately failed. Miserably. She managed to offer her hand for a handshake and could feel her heart drumming in her ears as the other girl took her hand and gently squeezed, her thumb brushing across the back of Carmilla's hand. The dark-haired woman felt a familiar hunger as she watched the brunette flush at the contact along and her eyes flicked down to the brunette's lips as she noticed Laura doing the same.

She quickly shrugged off the feeling, not wanting to do anything that would attract unwanted attention, and turned her attention to the bar where she grabbed two of the three beers.

"Thanks cutie, I'll be sure to pay you back for these." She said with a wink before making her way backstage, leaving a gaping Laura alone at the bar.

"Buying her drinks already? Way to go Hollis." LaFontaine said as Laura slid back into her side of the booth.

"Well, I figured that you two already had each other to satisfy your respective thirsts."

She laughed as she watched the two gingers gape and blush then turned her attention back to Carmilla as the band climbed back onto the stage. The porcelain-skinned beauty sauntered up to the mic and without a word all eyes were back on her as she nodded to her bandmates and let her ghostly voice fill the bar.

 _"The lights are on, but you're not home_

 _Your mind is not your own_

 _Your heart sweats, your body shakes_

 _Another kiss is all it takes"_

Laura felt her heart skip a beat or seventeen as the butterflies in her stomach seemed to multiply. She looked down to find herself on the edge of her seat, leaning towards the stage and almost falling off. It was like she couldn't get close enough to the music. Couldn't get close enough to _her._

 _"You can't sleep_

 _You can't eat_

 _There's no doubt_

 _You're in deep_

 _Your throat is tight_

 _You can't breathe_

 _Another kiss is all you need"_

Laura felt her breath hitch as Carmilla sang. She felt as if her body was being compelled by the gorgeous voice coming from the siren on the stage. She watch as Carmilla waltzed around the stage like she owned the place, crouching down and reaching her hands out as she worked the crowd. The more Laura listened the more she thought siren was an apt description of the creature before her. She could feel herself getting addicted to the sound of the woman's voice. She wanted to listen to it for the rest of her life, and a crazy, completely delusional, part of her wanted more than that.

She wanted to hear that voice thick with sleep after waking up. Hear it laugh and smile knowing she was the one who caused such a gorgeous sound. Hear it cry and hold it as she comforted it. Hear it whisper sweet nothings as it held and comforted her. Hear it moan with passion, chant her name in ecstasy, finally, be silenced as she brought it to its peak. She wanted to hear everything this voice had to offer.

She shook her head as she felt her face heat up at those thoughts. She had only met Carmilla that night. That was no way to be thinking about someone you had just met. It was weird and creepy and totally cliché.

Laura was jolted from her meditation as she noticed that no more music was playing and Carmilla was nowhere to be seen. She looked down at her watch and gasped. Apparently her imagination had been getting away from her for longer than she thought.

 _Could they be finished?_

Her question was dutifully answered when Carmilla sauntered back on stage armed with an acoustic guitar. She pulled up a stool and sat down, adjusting the mic while she tuned the guitar.

"Alright guys, before we go, we're gonna slow it down a bit." She turned and smirked at Danny. "Xena, we won't be needing you anymore. Why don't you go get yourself a drink and a biscuit for Kirsch?"

Laura stifled a giggle at the scowl on Danny's face as she stood up and the look of confusion on Kirsch's. Normally she would've been the first to defend her friends, but despite the teasing smirk on Carmilla's face as she turned back to face the crowd, there was a soft look of affection in her eyes that told Laura she didn't mean anything by it.

Carmilla smiled at the audience and stifled a giggle as she locked eyes with Laura and saw the brunette's breath hitch. "This one's for a special cutie who doesn't know how to order a beer." She smirked as she watched Laura gasp with a look of recognition. She started strumming the guitar lightly and turned to the microphone, not taking her eyes off Laura.

 _"What day is it, and in what month?_

 _This clock never seemed so alive_

 _I can't keep up, and I can't back down_

 _I've been losing so much time"_

Laura looked down as Carmilla eased her way through the first verse, feeling the raven-haired siren's eyes never leaving her.

 _"'Cause there's you and me, and all of the people_

 _With nothing to do_

 _Nothing to lose_

 _And it's you and me, and all of these people_

 _And I don't know why_

 _I can't keep my eyes off of you"_

Laura gulped as she listened to the lyrics.

 _Does she know? Oh God, what if she knows? I can't let her see me like this. I can't believe she dedicated this song to me. What does it mean? Is she into me? Oh God, what if she's into me? What do I say? I mean, what if I want to see her again. What if I want to see her again? What do I do?_

She looked up and all her thoughts were swept to the wayside as her panic was replaced with a comforting sense of calm as she looked into Carmilla's eyes and saw a smile on the singers face. Not like the almost constant smirk she had seen for most of the night, but an honest smile and as Laura saw it she knew it was a rare thing, nothing that beautiful could be common. This was a smile reserved for special occasions.

 _"All of the things that I wanna say just aren't coming out right_

 _I'm tripping on words_

 _You got my head spinning_

 _I don't know where to go from here"_

Carmilla started singing the chorus and Laura blinked as her view was obscured by LaFontaine standing in front of her holding out a rather large shot glass filled with vodka.

"You're gonna need this if you want to talk to her after the show."

 _Talk to her after the show? Oh no, what if she doesn't want to talk? What if she just leaves? She probably doesn't even like me. I mean who would?_

LaF must have seen the look on Laura's face, because they chuckled and placed the shot glass in her hand.

"Drink up, before your overthinking makes your head explode."

Laura smiled at her friend before pounding the shot back and swallowing it in one gulp. She shuddered at the taste, but the warmth that was quickly filling her body helped ease her tension. She turned back to Carmilla as she continued to serenade the bar with her velvety voice.

 _"'Cause there's you and me, and all of the people_

 _And I don't know why_

 _I can't keep my eyes off of you_

 _There's something about you now_

 _I can't quite figure out_

 _Everything she does is beautiful_

 _Everything she does is right_

 _'Cause there's you and me and all of the people with nothing to do, nothing to lose_

 _And it's you and me and all of the people_

 _And I don't know why_

 _I can't keep my eyes off of you"_

Carmilla stepped down from her stool and carefully placed her guitar back in its case before stepping back to the microphone.

"Thanks guys, we are Sacrificial Love. Goodnight!"

Carmilla snickered as she watched Danny roll her eyes from her spot next to her friends. One of which, she noticed, was the enchanting brunette who had captured her attention for the night. She watched Laura walk back towards the bar and heard her order a gin and lemon. She squashed the feeling of hunger that rose in her as she glided through the crowd, smirking as she felt Danny glaring at her jealously.

She came up behind Laura and had to wrestle herself for control as the smell of strawberries and something that made her chest flutter nostalgically filled her senses and threatened to release the beast she had kept caged and under control for so long.

"Hey cutie. Enjoy the show?" Carmilla smirked as Laura jumped and turned to face her.

"O-oh, hi Carmilla. Yeah I enjoyed the show." A mischievous look passed over Laura's face as she flashed a crooked grin that made Carmilla's chest tighten in that way she had sworn wouldn't happen anymore. "Even if they were all covers. Tell me, do you play any original music, or is all rip offs?"

"You know, you'd be a lot cuter if you weren't so mean, cupcake." Carmilla replied through partly gritted teeth as she swallowed the growl that had threatened to escape her lips.

 _What is it about this girl?_

"And you calling literally everyone you know names is nice, _Carm?"_

The simple familiarity with which the nickname was said was the nail in the coffin. Carmilla was determined to see this woman again. Get to know the girl who could go from adorable stuttering mess to unspeakably attractive and full of moxie in a second.

"Well, _sunshine_ , I just call 'em like I see 'em." Carmilla had leaned forward to whisper in Laura's ear and felt the heat radiating off the smaller woman's face, unable to keep her eyes off her throat as Laura audibly gulped.

She smirked and leaned back before she did something she knew she would regret and slid a little piece of paper across the bar toward Laura.

Laura was still in a daze when she felt a pair of deliciously soft lips press lightly to her cheek and felt the piece of paper pressed gently into her hand. She came to when she heard Will the bartender chuckle, and by then Carmilla was nowhere to be seen.

Laura gaped as she looked down at the words on the paper.

 _I'll see you soon, sundance._

Below the message was a group of numbers that Laura took entirely too long to realise was Carmilla's phone number.

She closed her mouth and went back to join her friends, ignoring LaFontaine's teasing and Danny's rants as she replayed the events of the night over and over in her head, always coming back to lips whispering in her ear, and dark eyes flecked with silver.

 _Worst. Crush. Ever._


	2. Chapter 2: Of Cafes and Kisses

"Hnnnghggg…"

A muffled sound appeared from underneath the pile of blankets, the sound of Carmilla refusing to peer out as her phone waking her up was utterly displeasing.

"Not yet…" She mumbled into her pillow before her brain was awake enough to distinguish the melody that was playing on her phone. She quickly stirred, sliding her hand from underneath the blankets, grasping down slightly, letting the light of the room wash over her as she pulled her phone to her ear, answering the call clumsily. "Mmm, ya?" She managed to murmur having realised it wasn't her alarm but a phone call that had woken her from dreams of golden-brown hair and warm hazelnut eyes.

"Uh. Hi." A soft voice spoke on the other side. Carmilla, in her half-conscious state, didn't recognize it right away. She stretched and tried to find a more comfortable position as she held the phone to her ear. "It's Laura."

"Oh, hey cutie." Carmilla said through a yawn. Her sleepy voice made it hard to understand what she was saying.

 _She sounds even cuter over the phone._ On the other side of the line, Laura smirked at the sound of Carmilla's voice.

"Did I wake you?"

"Most likely. Unless someone else was calling me at…" Carmilla squinted a little, trying to adjust to the sunlight that leaked into her room. "What time is it anyway?"

"Oh God, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to. I just wanted to know if you wanted to go get coffee, but you were still asleep, and I should have waited longer than two days to call you 'cause now you think I'm clingy, and I'm sorry I'm being clingy I just wanted to see you again. But I guess that's not really helping my case." Carmilla chuckled at the panic in the voice. Feeling a lingering smile on her lips at the sweet sound coming from her phone's speakers.

"It's fine, cupcake. Don't worry." Laura sighed in relief and allowed herself to get lost in the sound of Carmilla's voice. It sounded sad and yet, so sweet. As if the other woman had been talking through a smile. There was a gentle vulnerability that came with it.

 _If that's her sleepy voice, that's the sound I want to wake up to every morning._ Laura flushed as she remembered thinking the same thing two days before and where that train of thought had led.

"Uh, it's one-thirty. I thought you'd be awake by now, then again I shouldn't make assumptions that just cause I'm an early bird everyone else is."

"That's fine. Meet me at The Alchemy Club in an hour and we'll go get that coffee."

"Okay! I'll see you then!" Carmilla chuckled at the other woman's enthusiasm before hanging up the phone and swinging her legs out of the bed. She noticed that the smile hadn't left her face and wondered just who this Laura girl was, and how she could do these things to Carmilla.

How she could make her feel these things.

Things she hadn't dared even give a name to in ages.

For the first time in forever, Carmilla felt hopeful.

*(OoO)*

Forty-five minutes after hanging up and Laura found herself sitting at the bar waiting for Carmilla and feeling quite out of place. Not a lot of people hung around bars at two-fifteen in the afternoon. And none of them were tiny reporters for a small town newspaper. She looked around the room and prayed Carmilla would show up soon, even if she wasn't expected for another fifteen minutes.

 _Did she get caught in traffic? What if she just went right back to sleep after we hung up? What if I'm being stood up right now?_

Her delusions were interrupted by the sound of a sweet siren's call that sent familiar pulses of pleasure down her spine.

"Sorry, cutie. Will needed a ride and wouldn't get out of bed."

Laura whirled around and was taken aback by the black-haired beauty as Carmilla glided her way to the seat next to her.

"C-Carmilla! Uh… hi! You're-"

"-Late? I know. My lousy brother-"

"-Brother? _Oh!_ Will. Will's your brother. Gotcha." Laura chuckled nervously, she felt like she was fourteen again, on her first date.

 _Is this a date? What is she thinks this is a date? What if she thinks this_ isn't _a date?_

"Cupcake? Hello? You in there?" Carmilla waved her hand in front of Laura's face to get the brunette's attention.

"Oh, sorry Carm. Erm… are you ready?"

"Ready when you are, cutie." Carmilla winked before getting up and moving toward the exit leaving a dazed Laura in her wake. She shook her head and got up to hurry after the beautiful woman.

*(OoO)*

"So you really live above that bar?"

Carmilla smirked at Laura's inquisitiveness, this wasn't the first time she found the girl's desire to know about her refreshing, to say the least. Normally she wasn't quick to divulge anything about herself, but Laura's ability to sense when she had approached a touchy subject and move on to something else made Carmilla feel more at ease.

"Yup. Will and I own the bar so we live in the flats above it. Though he's the one who runs the bar."

"Oh, so what do you do?"

"I just got a position teaching music at the university."

"Wow! That sounds really interesting!"

"Not really, just a bunch of rich kids looking for something to pad their resumes." Carmilla couldn't help the smile that tugged at her lips as she listened to Laura's bell like laugh. "So where are we headed, anyway?"

"Well, there's this cute little place I go to when I need a change of scenery. It's not too far, and I thought we could walk since it's such a gorgeous day."

"Yes, it really is." Carmilla added, smile never leaving her face and gaze never leaving Laura. She quickly turned her head around and faced forward, chastising herself for being so blatantly mushy, hoping Laura hadn't caught her.

Laura caught just a glimpse of Carmilla staring at her before the pale woman swiftly turned away, both girls blushing wildly as they continued downtown in a relaxed pace. Laura didn't know why she had decided to bring Carmilla to her favourite café, she spent almost every day there and it was her escape from everything. The only person who knew she frequented it was Kirsch since he worked there when he wasn't doing gigs with the band, and he had promised not to tell her other friends about it. It was her own private haven and, to be honest, she really loved it like that. But here she was letting this mysterious woman she had met only two days ago know where she was hiding and, strangely, instead of the normal dread that came when her friends asked where she disappeared to, she felt a warmth that she hadn't felt for years.

About ten minutes later, amid laughter and teary eyes-Laura had some interesting stories about her various adventures in town- Laura's phone started playing _I Fought the Law_ and she pulled it out, looking at the screen quickly and casting an apologetic glance at Carmilla before answering it.

"Hey Dad. What's up?" She was smiling widely and Carmilla couldn't help but stare. Not that she tried looking away, with the flush from her laughter still fresh on her cheeks, Laura was too spectacular not to stare. (Carmilla cringed internally at her behaviour once again. She sounded like a thirteen year old in a bad romance novel.) She couldn't make out what the person on the other line was saying, but Laura's answers helped fill in most of the blanks.

"No, I'm out. Just about to go for coffee with a friend."

"No. Uh, I don't know. Wait." Laura suddenly turned to Carmilla, startling the ebony-haired woman, and mumbled, "Is this a date?"

Carmilla's eyes were wide open as she stared at Laura who stared back, dead serious, watching her expectantly. Maybe even hopefully?

"Only if you want it to be, cupcake." Carmilla answered with a chuckle.

"Yeah, it's a date." Laura continued into the phone.

Carmilla was still trying to wrap her head around this girl's ability to go from nervous wreck to blatantly blunt in zero point two seconds when Laura turned swiftly to her again. "My dad says hi."

Carmilla chuckled as she listened to the silly conversation Laura was having with her father. She held her hand to her mouth to keep from completely bursting into laughter as she watched Laura's cheeks go from their normal rosy hue to a deep crimson.

"DAD! Seriously, I have to go. Don't make me tell that cute nurse you have a crush on! This is not the kind of conversation-ugh, never mind. I gotta go. _What protection, we're both girls! DAD!_ Call you later." Laura instantly shoved the phone in her pocket and turned to Carmilla, her cheeks a fiery red. "Um. S-so the café i-is-ahem- is right around the corner." Her adorable attempts at carrying on as if nothing happened made Carmilla chuckle. She stumbled over her words as she led them around the corner.

The longer Carmilla stayed silent, the more flustered Laura became. By the time they found a small couch in the back corner, the tiny brunette had been reduced to a nervous wreck. Carmilla found this hilarious but when her eyes had drifted back to her slender neck as she visibly gulped, she felt that primal thing deep within her rumble to life. She barely heard Laura offer to go get them something as she fought to get control of herself.

By the time Laura had returned with two mugs of hot cocoa, she had just managed to reign herself in. She didn't understand what it was about this girl that was making her lose her self-control, but, for the time being, it was worth it to see that smile that was sunshine personified.

"So, what's it like teaching at the university?"

Her attention was brought back to the present at the sound of Laura's voice. She looked at the girl and took a sip of her cocoa to compose herself before answering.

"Pretty much the same as everywhere else. Grouchy self-entitled students who think they're better than you, creepy old guys hitting on you, the usual. The poltergeist in the room next to mine is new, though." Carmilla answered. She used this chance to slowly inch towards the other woman, delighting in the hint of blush that returned to her face.

"Oh, you mean Pete!" Laura exclaimed like she was talking about her neighbour.

"Pete?"

"Yeah! He moved into that room a few years ago. I did a piece on him for the paper." She looked down and fiddled with the fabric of the couch, "It's actually how I got my start."

"So you're a reporter?"

"Yup." Laura nodded enthusiastically, all traces of bashfulness gone. "I decided to stay here and work as a reporter after school because, really, what other city do you find giant mushrooms and disappearing corpses."

Carmilla seemed to perk up as she mentioned this, "Disappearing corpses?"

"Yeah. It's really weird. They found the body of this woman in the street with what looked like injection marks in her neck, but when they went to do tox-scans on the blood, you know see what she was on, the body disappeared."

"Really? That's strange." Carmilla replied stiffly.

Laura shrugged, hoping her nonchalance would help relax the other woman. "Stranger has happened. If you want something strange, there are rumors of a giant creature living underneath the University."

Carmilla seemed to relax as they changed topics. "Are there? Should I be worried?" She inched closer again, and Laura gulped. That strange warmth that was never far when Carmilla was involved returned as she noticed the other woman's eyes flick down before returning to hers.

"Not really. But if something happens, let me know okay?"

"I'll be sure to give you an exclusive, cupcake." Carmilla answered with a smile that made Laura's chest tighten.

Carmilla didn't know how long they sat together in that café, heads together, talking about everything and nothing. Nor was she sure how she had agreed to bring Laura home for pizza and drinks. Yet here she was, in her kitchen with a cooler in hand, putting down the phone after ordering a meat lovers' pizza as Laura sat on her couch playing with her dog.

"You know, I really thought you'd be more of a cat person." Laura said as she shifted and made room for Carmilla. She tried unsuccessfully to avert her eyes from the dark skinny jeans that hugged the taller woman's seemingly endless legs perfectly as she sat down and stretched an arm along the back of the couch.

"Well, that's because I am a cat person, buttercup." She said mysteriously, "But J.P. here really grew on me. Plus he keeps Will out while I'm gone."

Laura chuckled and settled herself in more comfortably. She felt slender fingers start playing with the hair at the nape of her neck and shivered before leaning into the feeling and closing her eyes.

Carmilla kept stroking as she watched Laura tilt her head into her moving fingers. The girl was completely relaxed, and the beast was shouting for her to make her move. She started to lean in when she saw the slight smile on the smaller woman's lips and hesitated. Laura was so pure and bright, like the sun. And as much as every fiber of her being was telling Carmilla to stay away, lest she get burned, she decided this light was too beautiful to put out.

She chose to bask in its light and warmth, even if she knew it could destroy her.

The doorbell made Laura open her eyes, and she noticed that she was much closer to Carm then before. She stared into the pale woman's eyes and marveled at the flecks of silver that dotted the obsidian depths.

She was shaken from her reverie when Carmilla stood up. She sat there and waited as she watched ebony tresses bounce before coming to a stop as Carm paid the pizza guy.

Three coolers later and she found herself laying in Carmilla's eyes while some movie played in the background. She knew she should be paying attention, seeing as she was the one who picked it (with only mild complaining from Carm), but how could she focus on anything else when there were obsidian waves she could plunge her hands in? How could she focus on anything when there was the smell of vanilla and lilac invading her nostrils, making her dizzy and filling her with warmth? How could she focus when there was the sound of soft breaths coming from beneath her, lulling her into lowering her guards completely for what felt like forever? How could she focus when there were a pair of eyes like night skies looking down at her, taking her breath away with their ancient majesty? How could she possibly focus when there was the taste of her lips filling her mind, emptying her mind and filling her body? How could anyone possibly ask her to focus on a movie, when there was a gift from the gods lying directly beneath her, making her feel something she didn't think she could feel anymore?

How could she in any way, shape, or form, focus on a movie, when she felt so _alive?_


	3. Chapter 3: Cabins and Kisses

**A/N: In honour of hollstein doing the do, I decided now is as good a time as ever to post a new chapter. This was half written by me and half by Alex, followed by me editing it.**

 **Thanks for all the follows and favourites, and we hope you like it and tell us what you think in the reviews.**

There are times in life where you find yourself questioning a lot of things about yourself and what events in your life made you who you are today. Opportunities seized. Places visited. People met.

Laura was very aware of this as she waved to the raven haired beauty before rushing to meet her at the doors to the music building and wrapping her in a hug. She smiled as she felt Carmilla nuzzle her cheek affectionately, feeling the smile on the taller woman's lips. They separated and Laura followed Carm back to her flat above the bar near campus. They spent the time in silence, which, as was happening more and more frequently over the last few weeks.

She thought about how much happier she was these past few weeks than she had been for years before. Part of her was wary of allowing herself to get this attached, of opening herself up to another heartbreak. Especially when she considered how little she knew about the woman with the voice of a siren in the body of an angel. Every time their conversations moved towards Carmilla's past, the dark haired woman would tense up. Laura noticed this, and deftly navigated the subject towards lighter, more relaxed topics. Who was she to complain? She had shared just as much about her past as Carmilla, and she knew plenty about having skeletons in one's closet.

She smiled as she felt the back of Carmilla's hand brush against her own before a slender pinky timidly wrapped around her own. The other woman was always shy of public displays of affection that displayed anything more than lust, and it was something Laura found increasingly endearing. She looked up and studied the woman walking next to her. From her perfect eyebrows, almost always arched in faux contempt, to her jawline that could have been sculpted from marble for all its smoothness and subtle strength, to her captivating crimson lips. She felt her chest tighten as she wrapped the rest of her fingers around Carmilla's and watched those beautiful lips tug slightly in the smallest hint of a smile.

They entered Carmilla's flat, taking their usual seat on the couch next to J.P. Since their first date, where she had fallen asleep in Carmilla's arms, Laura was a regular visitor to the flat. She had woken up early in the morning to a missed call and several missed texts from Danny asking how the date went and transitioning towards wondering where she was as the night went on. She was going to answer, let her friend know that she was safe and there was nothing to worry about, but the feeling of Carmilla's arms around her, and the steady rise and fall of her breaths lulled her back into the world of dreams, where an enormous black cat with galaxies in its eyes waited for her.

She had met the giant jungle cat several times in her dreams, but she figured it was probably just her subconscious messing with her after many late nights spent working on her articles. Three more bodies had disappeared from the morgue since LaFontaine's friend had told them about the first one, mixed with the tremors at the university she was investigating, and the daily weirdness she reported on for her column, Laura felt like she was being pulled in several different directions. Her only reprieve was Carmilla. The mysterious musician was always open to letting Laura vent, and though she seemed perturbed by the goings on with the missing bodies, she listened nonetheless.

They had just finished their dinner, a stir fry that Carmilla had clearly just learned how to make that day, and were halfway through the fifth episode of _Doctor Who_ for the night when Laura had noticed that Carmilla was acting strangely.

The normally snarky woman was uncharacteristically quiet, as opposed to her usual running commentary on the shows that Laura supposedly "forced" her to watch (though Laura could tell she secretly liked them). She noticed that Carmilla had been twiddling her fingers in her honey brown locks, something she could tell was a nervous gesture. She had turned to ask what had the normally cool and collected woman in such a tizzy, and was surprised to see the blush on Carmilla's face.

She had smiled as the pale woman stuttered her way through asking her to be her girlfriend, throwing in a snarky comment here and there in vain attempts to save face. She had kissed Carmilla with as much passion as she could muster to answer and smiled when she was told to keep her weekend free.

Later that night, as she lay in her _girlfriend's_ arms (she didn't think she would ever get used to that word), her thoughts returned to the doubts she had been ruminating over this afternoon. This time, though, there was an even louder voice that spoke in defiance.

Her time with Carmilla taught her she wasn't the only one taking a chance by opening herself up to the other girl. She may not know much about Carmilla's past, but that didn't mean she didn't know about _Carmilla_.

She knew that Carmilla was afraid to come off as anything other than, as Danny put it, the Mistress of the Snark, around others, but deep down she was a big softy (and a bit of a dork). She knew that Carmilla's music was one of her true passions, and though she complained about them constantly, she was happy to help her students however she could. She knew that, even though the living room and kitchen area of her flat were quite nice, the bedroom that sat up the spiral staircase in the back of the apartment was a complete mess. She knew that, while they got along and teased each other like normal siblings, for whatever reason, Carmilla didn't trust her brother, and was always slightly on edge when he was in the room with them alone.

Sure she had her secrets, and sure Laura was curious. Her investigative nature made her want to figure everything out. Why did Carmilla have a separate mini fridge with a lock bolted to it, stocked with who knows what? What was it that made Carmilla want to restrain herself when their kissing became more heated, as if she was trying to control herself? Why didn't Carmilla trust Will, and why did she choose to live above the bar they shared? Why did Carmilla act so violently when some drunk at the bar called her a witch, when normally she simply shrugged off any other insult thrown her way?

As much as Laura wanted to know about her girlfriend, she wanted her to be comfortable and happy first. She inhaled the scent of vanilla and lilac and closed her eyes. She had an inkling of the feelings in her chest that were getting stronger with every minute she spent with Carmilla, and she knew that if she ever wanted to make something of them she'd have to wait. One day, Carmilla would be comfortable enough with her to talk about those things, and Laura would be there to listen when she was.

And maybe, one day, Laura would be ready to let a couple skeletons out of her closet too.

*(OoO)*

"Carm, I get that you're trying to be chivalrous and all," Laura said as Carmilla opened the door to the secluded cabin in the woods. "But carrying me over the threshold? Really?" Carmilla merely smirked as she walked smoothly through the door into the picturesque cottage. It was modest, with the living room and kitchen right near the door. A short hallway in the back of the room led to the bathroom, and what was presumably the bedroom. There was a quaint little porch outside with a view of a nearby lake and a small fire pit nearby for bonfires. "And you're doing it with one arm! _And_ carrying our stuff. Where did you get this strong?" She wrapped a hand around Carmilla's arm and relished in the feeling of the muscles working underneath. She looked up and smiled as she let herself get lost in coal black eyes looking down at her while Carmilla smirked.

"I have my methods." The mysterious woman replied. Her voice was soft, and had that slight husk to it that sent shivers down Laura's spine. "Besides, I took you here to have a romantic weekend away from those lack-wits at the University. I even got that puppy of a TA to cover for me." She dropped the bags and brought her arm underneath Laura's legs before squeezing them slightly, digging her fingers into her thigh lightly and eliciting a slight gasp from the brunette. "The last thing I need is you questioning my _strength_ of all things."

Laura smiled and ran her hands along the deceptively powerful muscles of Carmilla's arms once more, "Well, alright, but you've gotta promise to give me the name of your trainer, because, _wow._ "

She watched the flecks of silver appear in her girlfriend's eyes and was entranced as Carmilla set her down, "Now that you're done questioning me, detective, isn't there something you'd rather being doing now?"

Laura smirked and leaned up to bring her lips to Carmilla's. She tasted like heaven on earth. Everything about her was irresistible, addicting, _intoxicating._ Laura couldn't seem to help herself whenever she was around her girlfriend. The swirling galaxies that would sometimes appear in Camilla's ebony eyes drew her in with their gravity, and she felt helpless to stop it, even if she wanted to.

What the tiny tawny-haired girl wasn't aware of was how much of an effect she was having on her significant other. Carmilla's senses were completely surrounded by Laura. She heard the girl's heartbeat pick up, pumping adrenaline and endorphins through her system as it provided a beat for the sweet melody of sounds she made as lips and tongue and teeth found spots on her like notes on a piano. She inhaled and delighted in the sweet fragrance of strawberry shampoo and cinnamon mixed with that of sweat and pheromones. The combined scents tickled her nostrils before working their way into her head making her dizzy with desire. She sucked on a particular part behind Laura's ear and relished in the feeling of her girlfriend's body as she arched forward while wrapping her arms and legs around the dark-haired woman, trying to create as much contact between herself and her girlfriend as possible. Laura's fingers tangling in Carmilla's hair, mixed with the taste that she could only describe as pure decadence on her lips eliminated everything from existence. Carmilla slowly walked toward where she thought the couch was. When her shin met cushion, she lowered herself and placed Laura gently on her back, taking a moment to appreciate the beauty before her as if she were looking at the most magnificent piece of art ever created. She may as well have been. As Laura lay upon the couch looking up at her-chest heaving, face flushed, eyes black-blown with desire, and hair splayed around her in a halo of golden silk- she was the very definition of angelic. Laura was light and warmth and goodness. A stark contrast to the darkness that surrounded Carmilla. But as she lowered herself to straddle her girlfriend's waist and returned her lips to their proper place on the tiny brunette's, she allowed those feelings to be lost, for the time being, in the spine-tingling, chilling flames that roared through her body before settling in her stomach and dripping down to her core like molten magma.

Laura wasn't sure how much time had passed before an annoying beeping sound was audacious enough to interrupt her very important make out session with her girlfriend. She tried ignoring it, but as time passed the beeps increased in frequency.

Finally, after the fifth beep, she untangled herself from her girlfriend's arms to reach into her pocket and take out her phone. Carmilla lowered her head onto the brunette's shoulder. Secretly she was glad for the distraction, it allowed her time to compose herself and regain her dwindling self-control. Despite her relief, she could not stop the primordial growl that rumbled through her. She froze momentarily, waiting for Laura's reaction, but relaxed when she heard a soft chuckle from beneath her.

"It's from Danny," the shorter girl explained.

This received a scoff from Carmilla. It was safe to say that Carmilla wasn't overly fond of the crimson haired drummer, and Laura could guess she was probably looking forward to not hearing her name for the whole weekend. Her hopes were dashed as Laura read the texts aloud.

 _"You coming out with us tonight?_

 _Laura?_

 _Are you coming to the bar with us?_

 _You there?_

 _Are you okay?"_

"You know I'm getting real tired of Clifford interrupting us." Carmilla whined as she readjusted herself so she was holding Laura.

"It's not my fault you can't wait 'til we get home to kiss me. Plus you should know what days she TAs for your class by now." Carmilla simply huffed and buried her face in the back of Laura's neck. "Besides, you could've told her we were going out for the weekend when you asked her to cover for you at the school."

"I just didn't want to have to go through another lecture about what my intentions with you are, and to not hurt you or I'll regret it."

"She's just really protective of her friends." Laura defended.

"Yeah, well her protectiveness is infringing on my much needed you time."

Laura chuckled as she wrote a quick text telling Danny everything was fine, before turning off her phone and tossing it onto the table next to the couch. She watched as Carmilla stood up and headed toward the door.

"If you can go collect some firewood, I'll rustle us up something to eat."

"So that's how we're doing things this weekend? Hunting and gathering?"

Carmilla turned and smirked before responding. "Well, by the state of your phone, I figured you would be used to roughing it."

"Oh ha ha." Laura drawled as she stood to join Carm at the door, placing a light kiss on her jaw. "Make fun of the girl with the flip phone. At least I don't abduct my girlfriend for a romantic getaway and make her have to work for her food."

She watched as the flecks of silver appeared in Carmilla's eyes before she closed her eyes and walked into the woods. "Just don't get lost. I'd hate to have to be all heroic on my time off."

"Carm, please. Me? Get lost? As if."


End file.
